A Mad Paradoxical Reunion of Regretful Nostalgia
by EveoRAiN
Summary: The creation of Mad Paradox was the workings of Diabolic Esper's insanity and deprivation of not seeing his mother. But... he can change right? Rework of Mad Paradox's story.
1. Chapter 1

In a pristine white lab, sat a man in a white suit, his long white coat over his shoulders. Six cube like devices surrounded him, projecting different codes and graphs.

His bright magenta eyes looked at the projections in a stern manner. "...Time Travel..." He glanced at the cube displaying a file simply titled "For mother".

His eyes narrowed. "That's right... I promised didn't I?" He mused to himself with a small grin. "I don't see what could happen if I attempted time traveling... maybe I could go back far enough to see my mother again with the power of Diceon from Elysion."

His eyes were fixated on this singular file, seemingly as it was taunting him. "Open For Mother." He ordered as the file opened, containing a video file he had recalled seeing back in that laboratory when he was in Elder.

( _All those years ago..._ ) He motioned the drone to move towards him as he inspected the file closely-

There was a loud shattering sound and hurried footsteps approaching him. He turned, however he was met face to face with... himself?

However, he looked younger and his hair was a mess. His magenta irises were drowned in a sea of black of his infected sclera.

" _ **D O N ' T!**_ " Before the scientist could respond, his other self broke the cube that contained the video.

The scientist's eyes widened in anger. "You...!"  
" **Don't time travel.** " The teen warned in an alarming tone. "Why can't I-"

" **There is no point... you'll just end up like me! I tried to save her... but it can't happen.** " The teen clenched his fists, until he froze and coughed.

Coughing soon ended up to choking... on his own blood. The scientist tensed as the traveller collapsed onto his knees. "Are you-" The scientist reached out towards the traveller-

only for his hand to be slapped away. The teen wheezed and glared at his hands. "...I'm at my limit..." His blackened eyes glanced towards the scientist. "...Dominator... I need to borrow some of your equipment."

The scientist, Dominator, was taken aback. "Hold on a minute! How do you know my title?" The teen didn't say anything as he shakily stood up and limped towards a shelf in the lab.

The shelf contained Dominator's prototypes for Nasod Armor. "Those are prototypes! They won't be stable!" The teen smiled a wicked grin. "I'm aware." He answered, shuffling through the glass flasks with shaky hands.

"You will only-" Dominator's thoughts came to a halt. ( _He's going to..._ ) "No... oh no you don't!" He shouted, charging ahead with his dynamos.

The teen put six different metallic liquids on an empty desk, deactivating his dynamos one by one. He hears Dominator running towards him and instantly grabs his wrists in a vice grip.

"I need to... do this..." He felt weaker by the minute. The teen shoved Dominator to the ground and locks his wrists together with a thick nylon strap.

The scientist struggled on the ground. "Are you mad?! You're going to overload your dynamos and kill yourself!" The traveller smiled. "There is a reason why they call me the Diabolic Esper."

Dominator furrowed his brow, only to see the traveller drench his dynamos in the different prototypes. "I am diabolic to those around me... but never myself." the Esper murmured as he watched the scientist struggle.

"Stop! Stop this!" Dominator shouted as Diabolic Esper simply frowned. "...you cannot stop Death. I'm dying... but my purpose in this reality hasn't been completed..."

He reactivated his dynamos. "Final Experiment, immortality." Esper murmured, preparing for another travel as his weapons flashed a vibrant magenta. Dominator rolled away and ordered his own dynamos to free him.

"You... you're an idiot!" The scientist shouted as the esper simply grinned. "...I know I am..." There was a flash. The screams of his other self rang throughout his ears as each particle separated itself from his body.

As quick as the flash and screams came, it ended as if nothing had happened. Dominator, scarred upon what he had witnessed, burned all of his time travel research.

After all, there was another version of him that already attempted such an unholy experiment.


	2. Chapter 2

Grace had enough of her husband's 'secret experiments' on their son.

The boy was named Edward, the only child of the Grenore family. One of which that Asker, her husband, thought would be a good subject to his torture tools.

She confronted him in his study. The man was shoving his papers off the table in annoyance, his fists clashing against his mahogany table with a loud shuttering thud.

"Damn it!" He exclaimed, trembling over the table in rage.

Grace felt intimidated, her mind suggesting that she would go back to her greenhouse and continue her research on new plantlife she discovered. However, the voice in her heart whispered concerns of her son in her ears.

How the boy always hid the obvious purple bruises on his wrists, how her son would limp around when Asker wasn't in the manor... how she recalled a time where his hands were burned badly and her husband refused to eat with them that same week.

"Asker." Her voice reverbated throughout the shelves of books and research papers that hid the walls behind the oaky exterior. The man pushed up his glasses and glanced towards her wife, an annoyed look spread across his facial features.

"Didn't I tell you to knock?" He asked as Grace flinched at his harsh tone. "...I want to talk to you." She exclaimed as the man scoffed.

"What do you want to discuss? Did new Nasod parts come in?" Grace shook her head. "Asker, what have you been doing to Edward?"

Asker cocked a brow. "...has there been any changes in him?" His wife seemed surprised. "No... so my suspicions were correct."  
"You were suspicious of him?" Grace shook her head, mustering up a fierce glare directed at Asker.

"You've been using our son for your experiments haven't you?" A twisted grin akin to a mad man shown itself on Asker's face. "...yes, I have."

Grace looked surprised. She had known her husband to be the one that kept things from her. But something to this scale...  
"I'm glad you finally noticed that." Asker approached Grace. Close enough to put his index finger to tip her chin upwards.

"Maybe we can experiment on him together... like the days of dissecting that frog in biology where I first laid eyes on you..."

 _SLAP!_

Asker was thrown against the ground with a harsh slap from Grace, her eyes watery with tears of rage. "He's our son! You can't do this Asker." The man scoffed and stood up. "Who said I can't? My wife? The only reason I married you is because..."

Asker gently caressed Grace's cheek. "I couldn't afford such a beautiful woman to be homeless by her own family." His hand travelled down to her shoulder, where he clamped his hand tightly over her shoulder blade.

"Be thankful of the person that gave you the resources to prove your family wrong. Edward may be our son, but to me, he's the perfect specimen for my experiments. And a lowly bitch like you can do nothing about it." Asker whispered harshly into Grace's ear.

"Now, _honey_ , go back to your plants." Grace shook her head. "No! I'm your wife and I'm the mother of the child you're going to experiment on!"

Asker slammed Grace against the wall, his eyes were wide in an intense rage. "SHUT UP! You cannot match my intelligence you stupid bitch!" Despite the rage of her husband, Grace argued back.

"Edward deserves to lead a normal life as part of the Grenore Family!"  
"In that case, he is mine by right! You were married into the name of Grenore, while Edward was born into my family's name. A bitch like you shouldn't be here. He is my experiment! After all-" He harshly tugged at Grace's ear. "People are just subjects just ripe for the picking! Maybe I should teach you some proper manners of being a lady of my family's name!"

There was a loud crashing noise, that stopped the two almost immediately as the power went out. Asker scoffed. "That brat..." He whispered, letting go of Grace.

He stopped turning around when he saw something floating over his desk.

Four pointed chains swayed haphazardly below it, creating the ominous clicking sounds a chain would commonly make. Six diamond shaped devices surrounded it, casting an estranged dull magenta light in the room.

" **...You are wrong,** _ **Ass**_ **ker Grenore.** " A deep voice escaped the object. The husband looked angry. "Who are you?" He asked with a foul tone.

The object raised its head, the two saw a face they recognised. It was their son, their little boy... Edward.

Grace noticed that one of his eyes were black. "The adults are talking Edward." Asker muttered bitterly as 'Edward' sent him a glare.

" **I abandoned that name thousands of timelines ago.** " The boy's deep voice was unfitting to his current form. 'Edward' sat cross legged, his hands in his lap as the coat he was unfurled off of his knees. " **You can address me as Add.** "

Grace looked worriedly at the boy, she approached the boy-

only for Asker to grab her wrist. "...Add?" He muttered in confusion. " **That name was given to me by my mother a long time ago. I know for certain you two are not my timeline's parents.** " He closed his large eyes, the diamonds spun erratically before becoming stationary behind him.

The man had let go of Grace's wrist and stepped out in front of her. "So why are you here, time traveller?" He spat. "Can't you see we were having a conversation-"  
" **You should keep the door closed tighter next time.** " Add muttered, his blackened eye opened partially, the bright magenta iris glared at the crevice of the slightly open door.

Grace immediately closed it and locked it. The traveller sighed. " **My other self already heard of this exchange before across several thousands of timelines...** "

Asker gritted his teeth angrily. "That damned brat-" Three of the six drones surrounded the man's neck, causing him to grunt in shock. " **You know I'm that same 'brat'. And I'm not afraid to kill you as I have done thousands of times before.** " Add stated, inching the devices closer.

"Edward!" Grace shouted in shock, upon hearing that statement. "P-Please disarm yourself-"

" **You aren't happy with him, so why are you protecting him? Why are you protecting the monster that experimented on me? Why are you protecting the man that inflicted pain and trauma on an innocent child?!** " Add's form glitched slightly, however the two had bared witness to an older version of their son even if it was for a split second before his form stabilized into his child like form.

"...oh Edward." Grace covered her mouth in shock. Asker just choked on his breath, he didn't know whether to show his fear or his anger from being called a monster by their own son. It surprised the two that Add lowered his weapons. Asker glared at the boy. "You had the opportunity to kill me, and you didn't take it... you truly are-"

"Asker, please." Grace quickly interrupted, the man glared at his wife. " **...Asker Grenore, I want you to stop experimenting on your- no... I want you to stop experimenting on Edward. I have seen thousands of children suffer at your hands... and I don't want to see another.** " Add hovered upwards and opened a small portal.

Before entering the portal, he glanced down at the two adults. " **...make amends with one another.** " And with that, he was gone. Leaving the two adults in utter confusion of what had just transpired.


	3. Chapter 3

A month after that confrontation, Asker had left for a business trip with some investors, allowing Edward to spend time with his mother in her greenhouse.

He was asked to gather some fresh soil from a nearby forest, so the boy happily did so.

It was a warm summer day, the gentle breezes tickled the grass below him, causing the green blades to sway freely with the winds. He exhaled a breath and continued on his way to the forest.

In a while, Edward never felt like this. He was always observed by his father and was never really allowed outside of the manor. He felt like... the invisible chains on him were suddenly shattered by the fresh air of the nature around him.

Once he found a damp patch of soil, he began to shovel it with his bare hands into the silver bucket. He didn't mind getting his hands dirty, after all his father wasn't around to smack him for getting dirty.

Until... he heard a quiet sob. Edward stopped and his breath shallowed to a quiet rhythm. It sounded like... an adult male. The silver bucket forgotten, the boy slowly approached the area where the sobbing was coming from.

He saw a crouched mound of black sitting in front of a tree. However, Edward saw the two black triangles on its head. His eyes lit up as he quickly, yet quietly, shuffled towards the mound.

His thumbs and index finger touched the two triangles, only to realise they felt like fabric... and the sobbing had stopped. The head lifted itself up and slowly turned to the boy, a black and magenta eye gave him a sorrowful glance. Tear stains were noticeable on his cheeks.

Edward suddenly realised what it- no... who he was. When he was peeking on his parents' argument, this was the boy that stopped them. Not only that, the boy had caught him peeking into his father's study. He shivered, recalling the beating he received from his father from doing that.

He recalled the name... "...Add... was it?" Edward murmured, slowly stepping away from him. The sudden interest in his hood was instantly forgotten as the time traveller just turned back to the tree and wiped his face. " **...what an odd probability of me returning here...** " He mumbled quietly as he stood up.

Edward saw him open a portal and instantly latched onto his arm. Add gave him a subtle glare. " **Let go, I have overstayed my-** " His other self shook his head. "N-No!... I... don't want you to leave."

Add tilted his head as the portal closed beside him. " **Why don't you want me to leave? I clearly don't belong here-** "

"You're upset..." Edward pinched his counterpart's cheeks, his thumbs rubbing the faint tear tracks that came from his eyes. Add winced and phased out of the boy's touch. " **So what if I am? It's normal to be upset.** "

Edward winced and glanced at the ground. The time traveller suddenly noted the boy's dirt covered hands and frowned. "You know your father is going to beat you for that right?"

Edward shook his head. "No he isn't, he's gone on a business trip." Add sighed. " **Look kid, just... leave me alone-** "

"But you're upset. No one should be alone when they're upset." The counterpart interjected, thoroughly annoying the time traveller. "Besides!" Edward pinched the two triangles on the hood again, causing Add to recoil in surprise. "Could you... let me wear this?"

The time traveller was at a loss for once. Surely, through the maze of his mind that he created when he travelled to these different timelines, he could figure out a possible solution to this. Either, say no and Edward would cry to his mother about him.

...or, say yes and loan him his coat and expose the... unstable energy patches.

Thinking carefully, Add huffed and slowly removed his coat and gave it to his other self. " **By my calculations, it should fit you rather loosely but-** " Edward wasted no time equipping the coat and putting on the hood. His other self giggled happily and embraced the time traveller in a tight hug.

"So warm..." Edward mumbled as Add blushed, his form glitching in and out of his child form. Yet, his other counterpart didn't notice this as he soon broke the hug.

"Could I... ask you something else?" The time traveller hummed in a confirming tone. Mentally, his mind is still scrambling through thousands of possibilities. "If you're from the future... what happens to mother and father?"

In an instant, Add's mind just shuts down. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. He looks at his shaking and glitching hands, the fear and trauma bellowed through his mind once again.

Add didn't know he reverted to his adult form due to the amount of stress his mind was under. He wanted to forget the past, he wanted to forget about his former life as Edward Grenore... but the voice in the back of his head made him succumb to his choices. Bargaining with Glave, destroying thousands of timelines, killing timeline variations his parents over and over again.

The eternal cycle he put himself through... his cycling depression. It all bubbled to the surface as his sobs came out as static, the burning hot tears escaped from his eyes and he clutched his head-

Until... he felt small hands wrap around him in comfort.

He had forgotten he was in the presence of his other self. Edward had wrapped his coat around the man, burying his head in his chest. "I apologize for asking... mother always told me that-"

" **It's rude to pry off of people who are suffering...** " Add murmured, hugging the boy back. " **I'm sorry to have scared you...** " He felt the boy's head shake. "No... don't apologize."

" **I just... want to forget.** " Edward hummed quietly as Add reverted to his child form when the boy broke the hug. He offered a hand towards the traveller. "Why not stay here? Maybe... we could be friends?"

Add recalled his days of isolation and loneliness, how he dreaded the days of waking up in the morning. Especially... that day when his father broke the radio he made for his mother. He doesn't want another version of himself to suffer the same fates he pulled himself into... maybe, he could change the fate of this one.

He hesitated, his hand trembling within a centimetre of touching his other self. Then, he questioned himself and his own decisions. Should he do it and face the consequences of time paradoxes? Should he not and suffer in eternal loneliness and insanity? He withdrew his hand and clutched his head, unable to stop the tears flowing from his eyes.

" **I... I can't. There are so many risks just staying here... this isn't my timeline. This is your timeline... and I shouldn't be here...** " Edward looked upset and grabbed his hand. "Please, I-I-"  
" **Edward. You have a loving mother, sure your father is an asshole... but I cannot be here. There are so many world-destroying risks with just my presence being here.** "

"Then I'm not letting go!" The boy hugged the time traveller. "I'm not going to let you go!"

Add just furrowed his brow. " **Your mother doesn't want me here. If Asker found out about me, you could be put into so much trouble.** "

"I don't care about that!" Edward shouted, hugging him tighter. "I want a friend! I want someone to talk to, someone that doesn't shove schedules down my throat... SOMEONE LIKE MY MOTHER!"

The time traveller stopped. " **Like... mother...?** " Edward nodded. "You're alone... I'm alone... without my mother, I have no one... please." The small boy sobbed into his chest. "Don't leave me!"

Add felt his face contort into the one of guilt. Flicking through all the possibilities in his head, he sighed and put a hand on Edward's head. " **...well... you really want me to stay?** "

"More than anything!" Edward proclaimed. The time traveller felt something bubble up in his chest. He giggled... chuckled... then laughed. A laugh he hasn't laughed in years.

Edward felt himself smile as Add's laughter stopped.

" **...I guess I could crash here. I'm tired of time travelling, so why not take a break?** " Edward's eyes lit up like a Christmas Tree as he jumped up and down and thanked him profusely.

"Edward?! What's taking so long?" Add immediately felt the boy stiffen. "Oh! That's right! The soil for my mother's research!" The time traveller let go of the boy and followed after him. The silver bucket was quickly being filled by each scoopful Edward put into it.

Add sat on a nearby tree branch, glancing at the boy who dug into the ground. "Edward, there you are!" Grace exclaimed, noticing the filled bucket and her son's dirty hands as she ran towards him.

"Oh dear, that dirt will stick to you if we don't wash our hands." Grace proclaimed, gently grabbing the boy's wrist. "Ah... mother?"

"What is it Edward?"

"U-Um... you know that boy from... that day?" His mother tensed at the mention of 'that day' and 'that boy' in the same sentence.

"W-Well... he's staying with us now. He's taking a break from time travelling and he ended up here. So... uhh... is that alright?" Edward asked. Grace looked concerned as she looked around, indeed she saw the time traveller. He was floating above the two with a small smile on his face.

At first, she looked startled. Only for it to soften to a gentle warm smile. "It's always nice to have extra company... however I do worry about your father finding him Edward, I don't think he can stay here." Add chuckled. " **Don't worry. I know a few hiding places and secret passages. Assker wouldn't know I'm here.** "

Grace frowned. "Refrain from that language while there is a child here. I thought I raised you better than that." She stated as the time traveller smiled. " **Will do...** _ **mom.**_ "


End file.
